Page 41 of Pooh

“Okay, that works for me. I’ll be back in under an hour. Now the trick is getting to my car without another shower from that little hellion,” she says.

-*- -*- -*- -*-

Tammy has left for lunch with Trigger and Craig is playing Xbox in his room. I’m getting a lot of work done and things are going smooth except for Katrena. We have not heard another word from her. I’m not sure how long we can let this slide before we have to tell Craig and report it to child services.

We had an intake early this morning. Another woman needing help to escape a violent relationship and she was referred to us by the police officer who responded to her 911 call. She’s battered and bruised but not needing medical attention beyond what the EMS already gave her. She’s been assigned her room and we’ve gone over all the things she needs to know to stay here. She’s in a fragile mental state, as most are when they first arrive, so she is in her room settling in before we go over anything else together.

The thing with domestic violence is that it happens everywhere. It doesn’t matter what your financial situation is, your race or religion. It happens in all levels of society. The woman who came here this morning is a high-powered attorney in Denver. She makes excellent money, but has no family to help keep her safe. Her friends are his friends too so they are not willing to help her either. People always think it’s only the poor that end up here but that is far from the truth. She only needs a place to land for a few days or weeks until she can figure out how she wants to proceed with her life. Counseling and people who understand her situation will go a long way towards her recovery and help her build a solid foundation of confidence and self-esteem. She does have it better than most because she is financially stable. One of her biggest obstacles is that she works in the same firm with her husband. That is one of the things she’ll need help dealing with.

I’m in my office when I hear Tammy and Trigger return. Trigger pops his head in my door and grins. I love the look of happiness on his face and I love that Tammy has been wearing that same look lately.

“I was wondering if you would like to come to my place for dinner tomorrow night. I’m not much of a cook but I grill a mean steak. Tammy, Axel and Bailey will be there,” he says.

“That’s so nice of you. Yes, I would love to come for dinner. What time and what can I bring?”

“Tammy said it would be best if you just brought some drinks,” he says, chuckling.

“She’s telling all my dirty secrets! But it would be best if I supplied the drinks. I’ll bring a variety,” I say laughingly.

“Great! Does 6pm work for you?”

“Perfect! I’ll get your address from Tammy and I’ll see you then, Trigger. Thanks for the invite.”

“Oh, one other little thing. I’m not gay. And Pooh seems to have walked his sorry ass into a door so don’t be surprised when you see his face.”

Trigger grins huge, gives me a chin lift and disappears out of the doorway. A few minutes later, I hear a truck drive away. I’m pretty sure I know what happened to Pooh’s face but that’s between the boys. I do laugh a little remembering the grin on Trigger’s face though. Tammy walks in, with a smile on her face, and plops down in a chair across from my desk.

“You told him I couldn’t cook without a microwave,” I accuse.

“I thought it would save you the embarrassment of being asked to bring a dish and you having to explain that it has to be microwaved,” she responds.

“Whatever. It’s your fault I can’t cook. You never let me near your stove,” I remind her.

“After the first two fires, I thought it was best to keep you away from the stove.”

“Text me Trigger’s address when you get a moment. Are you leaving for the day now?” I ask her, knowing she was here earlier than me today.

“Yep, I’m out of here. I’m going home to get changed and then going to Trigger’s. When you come tomorrow, bring beer and a few bottles of wine. Oh, you could go to Sweet Angel Treats, Ava’s bakery, and get something for dessert! That would save me the time of making one. Please?” Tammy asks.

“Yep, I can do that. Go on. Get out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

-*- -*- -*- -*-

“Why can’t I go? I don’t eat much!” Craig whines.

“It’s just for adults, honey. I’m sorry. How about if you and I go to lunch together tomorrow instead? You can pick the place and we can eat whatever you want there,” I offer.

“Okay, we can do that. But I want pizza and tacos. With pop, not water. Deal, Pips?”

“Deal,” I reply.

Craig overheard the conversation between Tammy and I about dinner tomorrow at Trigger’s and is feeling left out. I get it because he’s left with no one to play with here and most of the women, while nice to him, are wrapped up in their own lives. I make a mental note to ask if I can take him to the clubhouse in the next few days to play with Bella and Ava’s pets. He’s still talking about all of them so I know that would make him happy. And this little boy deserves some happy.

As I’m leaving work for the day, my phone pings. Looking at it, I see it’s Pooh texting.

BILF: Are you going to Trigger’s tomorrow night?

Me: Yes I am. Are you?

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